Kyiv, 13 May 2026 – More people were killed and injured in Ukraine in the first four months of 2026 than in the same period in any of the last three years, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) said today.
According to HRMMU’s latest update on civilian harm in Ukraine, at least 238 civilians were killed and 1,404 injured in April, bringing the number of verified civilian casualties so far in 2026 to 815 killed and 4,174 injured. This represents a 21 per cent increase compared to January-April in 2025, and a 93 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The high civilian casualty rate continued into May. HRMMU has so far verified that 62 civilians were killed and 376 injured in the first seven days of the month. The actual figures are likely higher.
While the number of civilian casualties decreased between 9 and 11 May due to a reduction in the intensity of hostilities, they have subsequently increased again. Since 12 May, at least nine people have been killed and 20 injured in Dnipropetrovsk region alone, according to local authorities. Also on 12 May, a short-range drone attacked a clearly marked UN World Food Programme truck delivering food to civilians near the frontline, injuring its driver.
One of the main reasons for the increase in civilian casualties has been the Russian Federation’s increased use of long-range weapons. On 16 April, for example, a missile and loitering munition attack on Kyiv city killed four civilians (2 men, 1 woman, and 1 boy) and injured 54 (32 men, 19 women, 2 girls, and 1 boy).
Short-range drones along the frontline were the second leading cause of civilian deaths and injuries. For example, on 4 April, in the frontline city of Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region, a morning short-range drone attack on a local market killed five civilians (4 men and 1 woman) and injured 26 (13 women, 12 men, and 1 girl).
Short-range drones killed and injured more civilians in April 2026 than in any other month since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
